Folding trellis



' UNITED- STATES PATENT FFIcE.

HAROLD LUDWIG ERICKSSON, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK.

FOLDING TRELLIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 601,438, dated March29, 1898.

- Application filed August 14,1897. f Serial No. 648,291. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LHAROLD LUDWIG ERIOKS- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsinFoldingTrellises; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to a folding trellis, and has for its object toprovide a collapsible protector especially adapted to encircletomato-plants and plants of various kinds for the purpose of protectingthe same from the elements, live stock, and farming implements when usedin the cultivation of the soil adjacent to the plants.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thecourse of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims heretoappended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of theimproved trellis or protector. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View ofthe same.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in thedifferent views.

The improved trellis or protector contemplated in this inventioncomprises,essentially, four corner-posts 1, each preferably composed ofangle-irons of substantially L shape in crosssection. These posts may beof any suitable height, according to the plants to be protected, andthey are pointed at their lower ends, as indicated at 2, to facilitatetheir insertion in the soil. At their upper ends the posts are providedwith rectangular caps 3, which serve to stiffen or brace the posts andwhich also form means for supporting sheets or netting thereon forfurther protecting the plants. Interposed between and connecting eachpair of posts is a plurality of folding strips 4, the said strips beingpivotally con nected at their outer ends to the posts 1 at variousintervals throughout the height of the posts and being pivotallyconnected at their adjacent ends, as indicated at 5. The adjacent endsof the strips 4 overlap each other, one of the strips 4 being preferablyof greater length than the remaining complemental strip. The longerstrip is extended beyond the pivot 5 and is provided with alaterally-extending lip 6 on its upper side, which is bent so as toextend over the top edge of the complemental strips 4, thus limiting thedownward movement of the strips 4 and also of a vertical auxiliary postor strip 7, which is secured pivotally to the horizontal strips 4 attheir point of pivotal connection. Interposed between the opposite endsof the strips 4 and the posts 1 are washers or spacing-pieces 8 for thepurpose of enabling the device as a whole to be folded with greaterease.

In folding the trellis or protector the latter is first removed from theground and then the strips or posts 7 are moved upward. This causes thestrips 4 to fold in a similar direction, and during this movement theposts 1 are drawn toward each other until the trellis or protectorassumes the folded position. It will thus be observed that the trellisor protector may be folded into very compact shape for transportation orstorage. In setting up the trellis or protector the posts 1 are forcedapart by pressing the strips or posts 7 downward until the lips 6 lockover the top edges of the strips 4. When the trellis or protector isthus extended, the posts 1 are driven into the ground, and, if desired,the posts or strips 7 may also be extended and pointed at their lowerends, so that they may also be driven into the ground. When the postsare thus driven into the ground, it will be impossible for the trellisor protector to collapse, as there can be no relative movement betweenthe several corner-posts thereof, the lower ends of said posts beingfirmly held in the ground.

It will of course be understood that the number of posts may beincreased or diminished, as desired, and that other changes in the form,proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding trellis or protector, embodying corner -posts, stripsconnected pivotally to said corner-posts and overlapping each otherintermediate said posts where they are themselves pivotallyconnected,and means on one of said strips whereby it is adapted to interlock withits complemental strip,substantially as and for the purpose'described.

2. A folding trellis or protector, embodying corner-posts, stripsarranged in pairs and pivotally connected at their outer ends to saidposts and also pivotally connected at their adjacent ends, the adjacentends of said strips being overlapped and provided with interlockingmeans for limiting their movement in one direction, and auxiliary stripsor posts pivotally connected to the aforesaid strips at the pivotalpoints of connection of the latter, substantially as described.

3. A folding trellis or protector embodying corner-posts substantiallyL-shaped in crossv section, pointed at their lower ends and providedwith rectangular caps integral with their upper ends, strips connectingsaid corner-posts at various intervals throughout their height andarranged in pairs, each pair of strips being pivotally connected at theouter ends to said posts and to each other at their inner ends,interlocking means at the inner adjacent ends of said posts, andauxiliary posts orstrips connected pivotally to said strips at theirpoints of connection, all arran ed substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib ing witnesses.

HAROLD LUDWIG ERIOKSSON.

Witnesses:

J OI-IN M. OLsoN, MARTIN O. JOHNSON.

